marking

Everyday

1. Markings are the lines, spots or patterns on an animal, road, plane or object. tree →
2. Marking is a teacher's work of checking and scoring pupils' work. tree →
3. In sport, marking means staying close to a player of the other team to stop them. tree →
4. As a verb form, marking means putting a mark on something. tree →

In the lessons

In science, animal markings help with camouflage or warning (a tiger's stripes, a wasp's yellow and black). On roads, markings such as zebra crossings and lines keep people safe. At school, "marking" is the teacher correcting books. Phrases: "road markings", "marking scheme", "marking the work".

Examples

• The tiger's markings help it hide in the grass. tree →
• The teacher spent the evening marking our tests. tree →
• Road markings show where to stop. tree →
• The puppy has white markings on its paws. tree →
• Our coach said "Keep marking number nine!" tree →
• She is marking the answers with a red pen. tree →
• The plane had blue markings on its tail. tree →
• One of them was brown all over, but the other had strange markings under his fur, as though long ago he had been spotted, and the spots still showed through. tree →

Note

Usually plural for patterns: "markings". Uncountable for a teacher's work: "a lot of marking". American English says "grading" for checking schoolwork. Spelling: mark + ing.